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The Paradox of Hormesis: How Over-Optimization Can Hinder Your Growth
As humans, we are constantly striving to optimize our lives. From morning routines to diets and exercise plans, we seek out the best possible ways to improve our physical and mental health, and ultimately, extend our lifespan. However, in our quest for perfection, we may be unwittingly hindering our growth by neglecting the importance of stressors and hormesis.
Hormesis is a dose-response phenomenon characterized by low-dose stimulation and high-dose inhibition. It has been recognized as a process of overcompensation for mild environmental stress, where the beneficial effects of mild stress on aging and longevity have been studied for many years.
Put simply, hormesis is the concept that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
We know that pushing our body with stressors, such as training hard, cold exposure, hot exposure, hunger, diet, etc., makes our body improve. These stressors create a small amount of damage to the body, which in turn, triggers a response that strengthens the body to prevent similar damage in the future. This is the basic concept of hormesis.
However, in our quest for an optimized life, we may be inadvertently eliminating these stressors. We may follow a super optimized morning routine, diet, exercise, and supplement plan…
